It already has been revealed that the body of 11-year-old Jacqueline “Mimi” Torres weighed about 27 pounds when it was found in a storage tote outside an abandoned home in New Britain last month, a weight the medical examiner conducting her autopsy attributed to “severe malnourishment” and not the advanced state of decomposition the body was in, according to arrest warrant affidavits in the case.
Now Chief State Medical Examiner Dr. James Gill has ruled that Mimi’s cause of death was fatal child abuse with starvation and that it was a homicide.
Torres’ mother, 29-year-old Karla Garcia, her boyfriend, 30-year-old Jonatan Nanita, and Garcia’s sister, 28-year-old Jackelyn Garcia are charged in connection with the child’s death.
Mom of child found in bin outside CT home facing charges along with her boyfriend, sister
Warrant affidavits detail the police investigation into Torres’ death and include information from interviews authorities conducted with all three suspects in the days after the child’s body was found in a storage tote outside an abandoned home on Clark Street on Oct. 8.
During the interviews, Karla Garcia and Nanita each allegedly blamed the other for Torres’ death, police wrote in the warrant affidavits.
Karla Garcia and Nanita have both been accused by police of killing Torres, while the charges Jackelyn Garcia faces stem from her alleged involvement in the prolonged abuse the girl suffered prior to her death, which reportedly included being zip tied in the corner of a room on pee pads and being left to urinate and defecate on herself, according to the warrant affidavits. Investigators also believe she was regularly denied food and was not fed in the two weeks before she died, police wrote.
Jacqueline “Mimi” Torres was most recently listed as being homeschooled, according to officials. (Courtesy of Farmington Police Department)
When authorities opened the 40-gallon tote they found a laundry basket and bedding as well as the child’s body curled up in the fetal position, the warrant affidavits said. Police indicated that the remains had some kind of powder poured on them that smelled strongly of ammonia.
Nanita and Karla Garcia have been charged with murder with special circumstances, conspiracy to commit murder, intentional cruelty to a child and other charges.
Jackelyn Garcia faces charges of intentional cruelty to a child under 19 years old, first-degree unlawful restraint and risk of injury to a minor.
“This is an unspeakable tragedy and one that has impacted Jacqueline’s family, friends and her entire community,” DCF spokesperson Ken Mysogland following the release of the warrant affidavits. “We have previously provided three statements in regard to our involvement with her family and at this time we have no further comment.”
Previous reporting by Justin Muszynski is included in this post.